Leith Burke News

If, for some inexplicable reason one didn't know, the world premiere of Citizen: An American Lyric  will make it a point to educate you that racism exists. The multi-awarding winning book of poetry of the same name by Claudia Rankine, on which Stephen Sachs has adapted, will reinforce the many instances that black people deal with racism from their white counterparts. Citizen, ably directed by Shirley Jo Finney, succeeds more as a poetic performance art piece than an actual scripted play.

A meditation on race fusing poetry, prose, movement, music and the video image, Citizen: An American Lyric is a provocative new stage adaptation of Claudia Rankine's internationally acclaimed book of poetry about everyday acts of racism in America. Adapted by multiple award-winning playwright Stephen Sachs, helmed by multi award winning director Shirley Jo Finney, and featuring a talented six-member ensemble including Bernard K. Addison, Leith Burke, Tina Lifford, Tony Maggio, Simone Missick and Lisa Pescia, the world premiere of Citizen opens at the Fountain Theatre tonight, August 1.

Internationally acclaimed poet Claudia Rankine will lead a talkback with the audience and sign copies of her multiple award-winning book Citizen: An American Lyric following a performance of the Fountain Theatre's world premiere stage adaptation of the same name. Rankine will attend the performance on Sunday, Aug. 2 at 3 p.m., and the audience talkback and book signing reception will immediately follow.

A meditation on race fusing poetry, prose, movement, music and the video image, Citizen: An American Lyric is a provocative new stage adaptation of Claudia Rankine's internationally acclaimed book of poetry about everyday acts of racism in America. Adapted by multiple award-winning playwright Stephen Sachs, helmed by multi award winning director Shirley Jo Finney, and featuring a talented six-member ensemble including Bernard K. Addison, Leith Burke, Tina Lifford, Tony Maggio, Simone Missick and Lisa Pescia, the world premiere of Citizen opens at the Fountain Theatre on August 1.

The bleak and barren world in A Noise Within's MACBETH is as much an outward visual of the inner state of Shakespeare's title character as it is the setting for the story itself. Moody, shrouded in shadows, and sparsely but strikingly accented, it has the look and feel of a timeless purgatory.

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, continues its 2013-14 season with Macbeth by Shakespeare, to open today, March 15 and run through Sunday, May 11, 2014. Directed by Tony Award nominee Larry Carpenter, this marks the first time in eleven years that the company has presented The Bard's timeless dark tragedy), which portrays the violent ambition of Macbeth and his wife, whose ascension to the Scottish throne through bloody means, ultimately causes their own demise. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, continues its 2013-14 season with Macbeth by Shakespeare, to open today, March 15 and run through Sunday, May 11, 2014. Directed by Tony Award nominee Larry Carpenter, this marks the first time in eleven years that the company has presented The Bard's timeless dark tragedy, which portrays the violent ambition of Macbeth and his wife, whose ascension to the Scottish throne through bloody means, ultimately causes their own demise.

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, continues its 2013-14 season with Macbeth by Shakespeare, to open on Saturday, March 15 and run through Sunday, May 11, 2014. Directed by Tony Award nominee Larry Carpenter, this marks the first time in eleven years that the company has presented The Bard's timeless dark tragedy), which portrays the violent ambition of Macbeth and his wife, whose ascension to the Scottish throne through bloody means, ultimately causes their own demise. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, continues its 2013-14 season with Macbeth by Shakespeare, to open on Saturday, March 15 and run through Sunday, May 11, 2014. Directed by Tony Award nominee Larry Carpenter, this marks the first time in eleven years that the company has presented The Bard's timeless dark tragedy, which portrays the violent ambition of Macbeth and his wife, whose ascension to the Scottish throne through bloody means, ultimately causes their own demise.

The 2011 Garland Award recipients were announced today, honoring the best of Los Angeles theatre. Under the voting system each Garland winner was named on at least three critics' 'Best of 2010' lists. Each critic listed up to five nominees for each category except performance, up to 10 nominees for performance in musical productions and 10 for straight plays. Here are the critics' lists, minus the winners. The critics who voted are Jeff Favre, Hoyt Hilsman, Travis Holder, Eric Marchese, Dany Margolies, Dink O'Neal, Melinda Schupmann, Madeleine Shaner, Les Spindle, Neal Weaver, and Jennie Webb. Back Stage thanks them, as we hope you will when you see them this year, for their perpetual devotion to Southland theater large and small.

The Best in LA Theatre for 2010

The Matrix Theatre Company has extended the West Coast premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' highly provocative and challenging new play, Neighbors, through November 7. Jacobs-Jenkins, who lives in Germany, will be in Los Angeles the week of October 15-20 and will host a Talk Back with the audience following the 2:30 pm matinee performance on October 17.

Subtitled 'A Play with Cartoons,' Neighbors is guaranteed to be the most provocative play you'll see this year. Following on the heels of last season's multiple award-winning production of Stick Fly, Joseph Stern's Matrix Theatre Company is back with Brenden Jacobs-Jenkins' shocking, explosive, and wildly theatrical new play that examines race relations in post-racial America.

The Matrix Theatre Company has extended the West Coast premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' highly provocative and challenging new play, Neighbors, through November 7. Jacobs-Jenkins, who lives in Germany, will be in Los Angeles the week of October 15-20 and will host a Talk Back with the audience following the 2:30 pm matinee performance on October 17.

Subtitled 'A Play with Cartoons,' Neighbors is guaranteed to be the most provocative play you'll see this year. Following on the heels of last season's multiple award-winning production of Stick Fly, Joseph Stern's Matrix Theatre Company is back with Brenden Jacobs-Jenkins' shocking, explosive, and wildly theatrical new play that examines race relations in post-racial America.

Subtitled 'A Play with Cartoons,' Neighbors is guaranteed to be the most provocative play you'll see this year. Following on the heels of last season's multiple award-winning production of Stick Fly, Joseph Stern's Matrix Theatre Company is back with Brenden Jacobs-Jenkins' shocking, explosive, and wildly theatrical new play that examines race relations in post-racial America. Nataki Garrett directs the West Coast premiere at The Matrix Theatre, August 28 through October 24, with previews beginning August 19.

Subtitled 'A Play with Cartoons,' Neighbors is guaranteed to be the most provocative play you'll see this year. Following on the heels of last season's multiple award-winning production of Stick Fly, Joseph Stern's Matrix Theatre Company is back with Brenden Jacobs-Jenkins' shocking, explosive, and wildly theatrical new play that examines race relations in post-racial America.

Subtitled 'A Play with Cartoons,' Neighbors is guaranteed to be the most provocative play you'll see this year. Following on the heels of last season's multiple award-winning production of Stick Fly, Joseph Stern's Matrix Theatre Company is back with Brenden Jacobs-Jenkins' shocking, explosive, and wildly theatrical new play that examines race relations in post-racial America.